Jump to main content

SLU Agricultural Long-Term Experiments

SLU Agricultural Long-Term Experiments are used to study how crops, crop rotation and cropping practices affect crop production, crop quality and environmental factors in the long term. We welcome collaboration with other researchers using data or archived samples from these experiments, or taking new samples. Information from the experiments may also be useful for advisors and others who are interested in Swedish agriculture.

Get access to the trials

Many effects of crops, crop rotations and cropping practices used within agriculture only become visible in the long term. This applies for example to certain effects on soil fertility, weed flora, ecological balances, nutrient losses and soil microbiology. The SLU Agricultural Long-Term Experiments are a unique resource which is available to researchers within all disciplines. Contact the subject coordinator if you would like to use the SLU Agricultural Long-Term Experiments for your own research or have any other questions. Please begin by reading the guidelines. Once you have reached an agreement with the coordinator you can fill in the application form.

Application form
Read the guidelines first

Funding

The SLU Agricultural Long-Term Experiments are funded by the Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences at SLU.

Weed biology and weed control

Effective measures and strategies for weed control are based on good knowledge of the biology of particular weed species and their adaptation to cropping systems, cropping practices and climate.

Landscape ecology

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of experiments with extended buffer zones along field edges were set up.Various types of vegetation were established in these zones by undersowing arable crops and wild meadow plants and by planting bushes.

Soil tillage

Within the subject area of soil tillage, there are 13 long-term experiments located from Scania in the south to Västerbotten in the north, with the majority concentrated on the Ultuna estate in Uppsala.

Crop productions systems

Long-term crop rotation and cropping system experiments can be used to evaluate the efficiency of different cropping systems and can act as a field laboratory for researchers within various disciplines.

Two people examine soil in a crop field. A third person is watching them as they work.

Hydrotechnology

Within the subject area of hydrotechnology there are three series of long-term experiments: Oxidation of organic soils, soil structure effects of liming and controlled field drainage.

Plant nutrition and soil fertility

A typical field experiment with e.g. fertilisation strategies consists of a number of treatments, usually measuring yield and quality.

Water quality management

The long-term impact of different management practices and crop rotations on nutrient flows in crops, soil and drainage water are studied in field leaching facilities with separately tile-drained plots.

Crop production systems - northern Sweden

Long-term crop rotation and cropping system experiments in northern Sweden - Jämtland, Västerbotten, Norrbotten and Västernorrland.

Porträttfoto på en leende kvinna utomhus. Foto.Sabina Braun

Department of soil and environment, SLU

sabina.braun@slu.se, 018-67 24 51

Published: 04 January 2024 - Page editor: lisa.beste@slu.se
Loading…